Tuesday, July 17, 2012

“So, if somebody asks about taxes, nobody is really interested in hearing what precise marginal tax rate change would you like to see in the tax code. What they want to know is that our campaign stands for a fair, just approach to the tax code that says everybody has to chip in, and that it’s not right if a hedge fund manager is being taxed at a lower rate than his or her secretary. And, so that’s a values issues: Is the tax code fair?” - Barack Obama to campaign volunteers

And of course WE (the people in power) get to define what "fair" is, to take that pesky burden off of you, the people. That's right, we'll just tell you it's "fair" and you don't worry your pretty little heads over those facts and figures like precise marginal tax rates, and say, their historical effect on economic growth and job creation. It's about feeling. You feeling that it's "fair". And we're the experts, and we told you its "fair".

And remember, our administration will base policy on facts and not ideology. Facts, like the numbers we don't want to talk about, not ideology, which informs our definition of "fair".

If taxrates are not equal under the law, and they are not -- then what is "fair" is arbitrary.

The top 10% already pays 71% of the taxes everyone pays. And yet the direction these people want to move to be "fair" (I guess that's "forward" in their eyes) toward them paying yet more in taxes.

This is why he must say things like "you didn't get successful on your own." To justify grabbing more of their money to spend on political favors.